Japan

It has played football with former US president Barack Obama and danced for German leader Angela Merkel, but Honda's ASIMO robot may have reached the end of the line. Launched in 2000, the humanoid machine resembling a shrunken spaceman has become arguably Japan's most famous robot, wheeled out to impress visiting politicians over the years. But Honda said Thursday it may scrap future generations of ASIMO, now on its seventh iteration. "We will still continue research into humanoid robots, but our future robots may not be named ASIMO," Honda spokesman Hajime Kaneko told AFP. The comment came after Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported that the Japanese carmaker had terminated ASIMO and dissolved the team making one of the world's most famous humanoid robots. NHK suggested increasingly intense competition in the field as a reason, pointing to the example of US-based Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot which can jump on to a high step and even do a backflip. Honda denied that it had dissolved … [Read more...] about End of the line for ASIMO, Japan’s famed robot?

Sport by Press Association June 27, 2018, 10:18 pm FacebookTwitterLinkedInWhatsAppEmail Sign up to our Sport newsletter Japan boss Akira Nishino has warned his players there is no such thing as a World Cup dead rubber as they attempt to book their place in the last 16 against Poland. Nishino’s men head into their final Group H clash tantalisingly close to their objective, but wary of the wounded Poles, who are going home regardless of what happens in Volgograd on Thursday afternoon. Star man Robert Lewandowski has endured a disappointing time by his own high standards in the first two games, but the Japanese are well aware that his quest to open his account for the tournament will go on until his final kick of the game. Nishino said: “There’s no such thing as a match that doesn’t matter. I’m sure Poland will play for their pride, and then there is Lewandowski, who is a world-class marksman and I’m sure he will come out to score … [Read more...] about Akira Nishino urges Japan not to take Poland lightly

The Latest on Wednesday at the World Cup (all times local): 7:25 p.m. Goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima is set to keep his place for Japan's last World Cup group match against Poland despite an error in the previous game that gifted Senegal's Sadio Mane the opening goal. Sitting next to coach Akira Nishino at a news conference on the eve of the Group H game in Volgograd, Kawashima spoke about his disappointment and that he was intent on making amends. Nishino said after the 2-2 draw he would assess the goalkeeping situation after Kawashima punched a low shot straight onto the knee of Mane, who was just in front of him. Kawashima says he understood the criticism and that he was grateful to his team-mates for retrieving the situation. He says "This time. I would like to help them." Japan needs to avoid defeat in the match to progress to the round of 16. ___ 7:23 p.m. Sweden has seized a spot in the World Cup knockout stage and a measure of revenge against Germany. The Swedes' second-half … [Read more...] about (Updated 2) Russia 2018, Day 14: Kawashima likely to line up for Japan v Poland

‘I want to talk this through calmly, so I’m sending you this email,” Shiori Ito wrote to Noriyuki Yamaguchi, then Washington bureau chief of one of Japan’s biggest national TV networks. “You had sex with me while I was unconscious.” In Japan, speaking about sex, let alone rape, is verboten; so to level accusations at a media magnate and close personal friend of prime minister Shinzo Abe was almost unthinkable. Yet three years ago, when a 25-year-old Ito met Yamaguchi, then 48, to discuss a prospective internship, the interaction with a man whose career she had idolised quickly turned sour. She alleges that, after a few small glasses of sake, she began feeling dizzy and excused herself to regain... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per … [Read more...] about Shiori Ito hoped her case would give Japan its #MeToo moment. Why didn’t it?

By Kamila Aliyeva Astana hosted the Kazakh-Japanese business forum and a meeting of the joint government and private sector commission for economic cooperation on June 27. At the opening of the forum, Kazakh Vice Minister Arystan Kabikenov stressed that Japan is one of Kazakhstan's key strategic partners in East Asia, the website of the Ministry for Investment and Development reported. Since 2015, there is an agreement on the promotion and mutual protection of investments between the countries. “Since the first years of independence, Kazakhstan has relied on ensuring economic growth through the creation of favorable conditions for foreign investors. Japan is one of the largest investors in Kazakhstan. From 2005 to 2017, gross inflow of direct investments from Japan to Kazakhstan exceeded $5 billion,” Kabikenov said. In turn, Vice-Minister for International Affairs of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Tadao Yanase noted that Japanese companies … [Read more...] about Kazakhstan, Japan ink agreements in urban transport, nuclear energy and water supply spheres